Statement on National Governors Association and State Education Chiefs Common Core Standards

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement regarding today's release by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers on a set of state-led education standards, known as the Common Core State Standards.

“The release today of the Common Core State Standards is an important step toward the improvement of quality education nationwide. States have come together to develop standards that are internationally benchmarked and include the knowledge and skills that students must learn to succeed in college and career.

“The nation’s governors and chief state school officers are to be commended for their leadership. These English Language Arts and mathematics standards have been developed by the states, for the states, based on research and best practices. They have benefited from extensive input from teachers, school leaders, parents, business and civic leaders, civil rights leaders, higher education and the public. These standards will help teachers, students and parents know what is needed for students to succeed in college and careers, and will enable states, school districts and teachers to more effectively collaborate to accelerate learning and close achievement gaps nationwide.

“The release of these Common Core State Standards is just the beginning of the effort. As states move forward to implement the standards, they will need to translate standards into classroom teaching that will help all students master these new standards. The Department plans to support state implementation efforts by providing federal funds for high quality assessments, professional development to help teachers enhance the knowledge and skills needed to help students master the standards, and research to support continual improvement of the standards and assessments over time.

“As the nation seeks to maintain our international competitiveness, ensure all students regardless of background have access to a high quality education, and prepare all students for college, work and citizenship, these standards are an important foundation for our collective work.”